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Occupational Medicine 2005 55(8):635-637; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqi146
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

SHORT REPORT

Saved by a material safety data sheet

Ching-Hua Lin1, Chung-Li Du1,2, Chang-Chuan Chan1 and Jung-Der Wang1,2

1 Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
2 Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Background We present the case of a young female laboratory worker who developed acute hepatic encephalopathy.

Objective To show that knowledge of occupational exposures to causative agents can alter therapeutic management.

Methods Although the patient was in a deep coma, her family members examined the workplace material safety data sheet, revealing exposure to chloroform. Since most chemical-induced hepatitis is self-limiting, a scheduled liver transplantation was postponed.

Results The patient recovered. Subsequent air sampling suggested that the patient had been exposed to chloroform at a concentration of more than 15 ppm for 2 weeks.

Conclusion Our case report demonstrates the importance of obtaining an occupational history and how the patient's family can be important in this process.

Keywords      Chloroform; hepatic failure; material safety data sheet

Correspondence to: Jung-Der Wang, Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. e-mail: jdwang{at}ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw


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